Corporal punishment, also known as physical discipline, spanking, swatting, hitting, and whipping is a method of forcing children to behave by way of physically striking them.
Many people believe that corporal punishment is a normal part of growing up, but it is actually a new phenomenon. Prior to the 18th century, very few children were punished due to their status as servants to the parents and the lack of control parents had over their lives.
As time went on and society changed, so did corporal punishment. It became more common and accepted as the world developed and families grew smaller.
Today, 93 countries have banned the use of corporal punishment in schools. This movement is growing every day as people realize the negative effects this has on children. These effects can last a lifetime and negatively impact a person’s health, relationships, and quality of life.
Punishing a dog is not the same as punishing a child
When we talk about punishing a dog, most people think of spanking or hitting a dog. In most cases, this is not the best method to use.
When you punish a dog, you are trying to teach them that something is wrong or bad. How do you do this? You must first establish what the dog considers right or good.
Then, you must show them that doing something wrong will result in a negative consequence. This can be as simple as telling them “no” and then taking away a toy or treat they liked.
The problem comes when we, as humans, assume dogs know what “no” means. We also assume that all dogs know what punishment is and how to respond to it.
Dogs are not little people
A lot of novice dog trainers make the mistake of thinking a dog is a little people. Because of this, they try to train dogs using the same methods people are trained.
This doesn’t work for people and it doesn’t work for dogs. Dogs need to learn how to be a dog.
How do we learn how to be a person? We watch other people and we are taught by other people. We also make mistakes and have to correct them.
We don’t run around off leash until we master being on leash, we don’t eat from the table until we learn how to use utensils, and we don’t keep things in our pants until we learn how to dress ourselves.
Dogs deserve empathy
If you’re afraid of dogs, you should try to understand them anyway. You can begin by imagining that a dog is a small child.
Just like kids, dogs need nutritional food, adequate sleep, and enjoyable activity to be happy. A dog needs an owner who is responsible and caring.
Since dogs are creatures of instinct, you have to show them what you want them to do. This means being authoritative when necessary, which most people don’t know how to do.
If you are more gentle than you normally would be, then your dog will respond in kind. It’s all about understanding how they think and feel.
If an aggressive dog has attacked its owner before, then the only way to stop it from happening again is to re-establish trust between the two of you.
Dogs need discipline
If you have a dog, you need to teach them how to behave. If you don’t, they will make up their own rules and you will live in a world of chaos.
Dogs need rules and boundaries. If they don’t have any, then they will eat out of the garbage can, poop anywhere they want, and jump on people when they come into the house.
You need to teach your dog when it is allowed to eat or play with a toy, when it has to sit before it gets something, and when it has to wait until you say so before it can go outside or get something.
Avoid using your hands when disciplining a dog
When you make the rule that no dog hands can be used to train a dog, you have to be strict. It can be very hard to not use your hands when you see a need to discipline a dog.
It is better to have to re-train the dog than have him fear your hands. When he fears your hands, then he will not obey when you have them out.
This is important because when a dog has been trained well, he should obey without having to use physical force.
When a dog needs discipline, they need to understand that what they did was wrong and not let them get away with it. The way to do this is through training variations.
Use non-physical punishment methods first
If you have to punish your child, start with the most non-physical forms of punishment first. Have them do chores, give them a time out, or send them to their room.
If these don’t work, then try taking away things they like or things that are fun for them. For example, if they won’t eat their vegetables then take away the vegetables until they are eaten.
This way they will learn a lesson and what makes them happy is taken away. Eventually, they will realize the lesson and change their behavior.
If these don’t work, then you should talk to your child and explain why these things must be done and why it is for the best.
Choose the correct time and place to reprimand your dog
When you catch your dog in the act of barking or exploring, it’s too late. By then, damage has been done-his emotions have been ruffled.
When you reprimand your dog, do so when he’s quiet or away from the things he may bark at. This way, there’s no chance for confusion or emotional damage.
It can be difficult to separate the emotion in dogs from their behavior, which is why this is important. If you reprimand your dog while he’s upset or angry, there’s a chance it will have no effect and that he will be emotionally damaged by it.
This is why it’s important to choose the right time to reprimand your dog-so that he listens and doesn’t feel upset or angry.
Be consistent with your discipline
It’s easy to get frustrated and give a child a swat or two when they’re being difficult, but this doesn’t teach them anything.
It doesn’t matter if they asked for five more minutes of game time or if they just refused to pick up their toys, if you punish by hitting, you are sending the message that violence is an acceptable response to conflict.
Children need consistency in their discipline in order to learn what behaviors are acceptable and what behaviors are not. If you hit your child one day and not the next, how will they learn that what you did hurt them?
There are so many ways to discipline children that do not involve physical punishment. Try picking five common disobedient behaviors and try different strategies to address them for one week.
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